Overweight and obesity are becoming more common worldwide, and a new study has looked at how these trends might continue into the future. Researchers examined data from 1990 to 2021 and made predictions up to 2050, highlighting a worrying increase in obesity rates.
Their work was supported by a global network of contributors including UCRH’s Mohammad Hamiduzzaman, with the results now published in The Lancet.
The study found that in 2021, around 1billion men and 1.1billion women were overweight or obese. China, India, and the USA had the highest numbers of affected adults. Some regions, like Oceania and the Middle East, reported that over 80% of adults were overweight or obese.
Looking ahead, the researchers predict that by 2050, the number of overweight and obese adults will reach 3.8 billion, which will be more than half of the global adult population. The increase will be especially significant in sub-Saharan Africa, with Nigeria expected to have 141 million overweight or obese adults by 2050.
The study emphasizes that no country has successfully stopped the rise in obesity rates. Without effective action, the number of people affected will keep growing, particularly in Asia and Africa. The researchers call for urgent and targeted measures to tackle this global health crisis, as obesity poses a major risk to health and can lead to premature death.
